


Forward, Sunny

by serpentism



Series: Sides of the Coin [1]
Category: OMORI (Video Game)
Genre: Depression, F/M, Fixing things, Hurt/Comfort, Literally Any OMORI Tag, Memories
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29108616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serpentism/pseuds/serpentism
Summary: Our protagonist awakens in a hospital bed. The time for confession has arrived. A truth, buried under the shadowy wraps of a destroyed mind, escapes into the ears of those deserving of the knowledge. Despite the reception of this truth in the eyes of others, time marches onward. Soon enough, that day is only one among the countless others.Two years following the event, a matured Sunny peeks in from beyond the vast curtain of Faraway - only to meet face to face with an old friend, who's sought his input for the longest time.
Relationships: Aubrey/Sunny (OMORI), Hero/Mari (OMORI)
Series: Sides of the Coin [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2210154
Comments: 28
Kudos: 193





	1. First Steps

**Author's Note:**

> decided to throw this all together in one night bc i was bored. i think the quality of the story remains intact regardless, that's up to you to decide though. i have literally never used this site before - more chapters soon. post-good end stories here we come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny rubs the tears from his eyes, remembering the years he had spent drowning in guilt. It was his lies that got him to where he is now. He has to go in there. He has to tell them. Otherwise, the guilt will pull him down forever.
> 
> It doesn't end how he thinks it will.

_I've finally done it... I finally did it... I..._

...haven't done anything yet.

I jolt awake in my hospital bed, barely on the cusp of awareness before I find myself suddenly submerged in vivid recollection of my last dream. Flashes of past events, the beach, the feeling of the sun on my face, a perfect picnic... repairing my old, ruined violin, one step at a time... my friends' words of encouragement... and Basil.

Basil.

As I thrusted myself out of the memories engulfing me, my mind found itself thrown into bouts of quick thinking. I had something I needed to do. This was what it was all leading up to - the reason these dreams needed to happen in the first place. Thinking more about Basil, I remembered the altercation from last night. Then, I found myself, hand carefully poking the patch resting over my eye.

I never thought I'd have to fight him like that.

In an instant, it came to me. The part of my dream that mattered most. The fight that decided the steps I would take in the future. The battle against the most powerful demon I harbored; myself. It was the one thing that sought to devour all that I was.

I remembered what I had to do. I leapt from the bed, quickly connecting my feet to the ground. In just a few short seconds, I'm walking again, every step carrying more and more weight as I realize what the repercussions of my next moves may entail. Words begin to cycle through my brain, supplying my body with the energy to push itself beyond the soreness and sharp pains that rip into me from every appendage.

_"One more step, one more step, one more step... it's not long now..."_

This plan has already been set in motion, and there is no room left to derail the path I've set myself onto. Steadily pushing myself along each inch of the floor, I think more about what needs to be done. What I must confess. The doubts seep in. They tell me that this confession will wring me dry of any hope, and urge me closer towards my downfall. That this creeping guilt will slither inside my frail body forever. That the demon I hold is due to break into the minds of those I hold dear. That when they learn of my lies, they will tear me apart, limb from limb. And that when I finally meet face to face with my sister again... she'll spill my blood, seeking only vengeance. She'll kill me, again and again. 

It's only fair, right?

Despite it all, I push forward. I can't silence the whispering, nagging voices that call to me. They beckon me further. I ignore them.

Just a few more steps, a few more limps, until I'm at the door. The door to my greatest challenge yet.

The steps are taken. The door, tall as it may be, doesn't scare me - it's what's inside that leaves me petrified. But my body moves regardless.

Handle turns. Door creaks. I walk in. A friend speaks.

I don't respond. They go silent.

I swallow my fear.

**"I have to tell you something."**

* * *

Initially, each word would escape me, but only after diligent thought. My brain ran through every possible word choice, every possible sentence structure, and admittedly, every possible way to make myself look like less of a villain than I already did. But my brain couldn't keep up with the increasing flow of harsh realities spilling from my mouth. Eventually, my filter broke. I regurgitated more nightmarish memories and wailed out more cries for forgiveness than any of my friends could possibly handle at once. But the objective had been achieved, and by the time my sermon of sobs had finished, I sought only to piece myself together. I'd fallen to the floor and probably became indecipherable mid-speech. My desperate tirade was at its end, and though looking through a teary eye, my friends - what I could see of them, at least - were beyond confused.

Through my babbling and incessant crying, they seemed to slowly understand the message I was trying to relay. Hero was the first among them to parse my words and reach any sort of conclusion on the matter. Hero, one of my last remaining pillars, the closest I'd had to an older sibling since Mari died, was the first to understand the truth of what I had done to her. He loved her, and I killed her. Only regret washed over me as his mood visibly shifted.

An eerily blank expression ran along his face. He looked like he'd went cold. His foot began to lift itself.

He took one step closer, then another. The clash of his shoes against the tiled floor rang in my head, sounding my imminent demise. He wants me dead. I can feel it in his gaze.

Aubrey's face morphed into one of sheer anger, riddled with sorrow. As she prepared to lunge herself toward me, Kel latched onto her nigh instantaneously. He put in his best effort to restrain her.

"Kel, let me go!"

She furiously barked demands at him. His grip remained firm.

"I'm not letting you do anything to Sunny," he asserted calmly.

Her shouts quickly turned to quiet sobs as she hopelessly ceased flailing around in Kel's arms. The anger that once fueled her slowly escaped her body. I could tell the contents of my confession were starting to seep further into her mind. I hated seeing any of them in pain like that. I hate that I brought this upon them. I shouldn't have done this. They'll never be able to stand alongside me again, now that they know the truth of Mari's death. More importantly, they'll find themselves in a worse state of disrepair than when...

My thoughts were halted by the sight of Hero's eyes locking with mine. He was only a mere foot or two away from me.

He kneeled down before me, as if to further rip through my being with his eyes alone. Everyone in the room had gone silent. Words could not carry the weight of this moment.

I could only wonder what was going through his mind as he examined my miserable face.

Then he spoke.

"Sunny, get up." he uttered, "We need to have a talk. Man to man." Hero's voice was grainy and unstable. I could tell that through his shadowy, expressionless face, he was beginning to falter. "There's some things I'd like to say to you." Despite the fact that he was beginning to slip, his words still felt cold. I couldn't tell what he was going to do next. Only expecting the worst, the words cut into my skin. Part of me froze.

Kel blurted out, "Don't you dare hurt him!"

"Relax, Kel. I just want to talk to him. I'm serious."

Those words were somewhat reassuring. Deep down, I didn't want him to hurt me, even if I deserved it.

More than deserved it.

Hero's hand began to move. Despite what he'd just said in response to Kel a few seconds earlier, I winced in fear, bracing myself for impact. My mind was still clouded by the idea that he was ready to kill me at any point, regardless of who was around to watch. I wouldn't be able to blame him, as his actions would be fully justified. My mistakes alone could be enough to warrant my death, in his eyes. Maybe, in that very moment, he wanted to rip me apart. I killed Mari. I lied to everyone. Would it be so wrong for him to hurt me? To break every part of me? Maybe he considered it, once or twice. Maybe it was all he wanted to do. Perhaps he was seething with rage, yet hadn't completely lost his composure yet. So I voiced my concerns.

"You're going to kill me for what I did, aren't you?"

He must've seen the utter pain, the complete worry in my eyes. When I coughed that out, something in him broke. He knew I'd resigned everything at that point. If he wanted to rip into my skin with everything he had, with all the people that I had ruined the lives of cheering him on... I would understand. His facial expression shifted once again, and I could view his sadness, displayed in full. His lip near quivered. He stiffened for a second, trying his hardest to regain his bearings as fast as possible. I didn't know what else to say, and clearly, he didn't either. So instead, he threw his arms around me, and pulled me in. My strength had left me long ago. I couldn't object, nor did I want to. I never wanted him to treat me like this, I didn't deserve it, but... I was beginning to tear up again. 

He shakily exhaled before choosing to grace my question with a response.

"I'm not, Sunny... I-I'm not."

Shortly thereafter, he helped me to my feet. His arm still around me for support, he let everyone know that we were heading outside the room for a bit, and that we'd return soon. When I looked back, I saw Aubrey sitting against Basil's bed, likely trying to make sense of it all. Kel was right there with her, trying his hardest to provide her any form of comfort. I only wish I knew what thoughts were tumbling in their mind while they watched us go. Basil barely mustered the strength to sit up in his bed, waving weakly at me.

_We did this to each other._

I wanted to apologize for how I roughed him up then and there, but knowing him, he must have shifted the blame onto himself in an attempt to spare me the guilt. Either way, I still felt guilty.

Hero pushed the door open further. I'd completely forgotten to close it once I had walked in. Hopefully no one was around to witness any of that mess.

Unlike myself, Hero closes the door behind us as we exit the room.

* * *

Out in the hallway, there were a few chairs positioned next to Basil's room, as it would be with any other room meant for housing patients. The air wrapped an indescribable amount of worry around the both of us. I knew he felt it. He just had a better time concealing that fear.

On one of the chairs rests a large, dark blue school bag. I had no clue what it was there for until Hero started digging through it, looking for something; what it was, perhaps I would soon learn.

He pulls out a fresh bottle of water, and offers it to me. I couldn't even begin to understand any of what he was doing - I'd just confessed to him that I killed the very thing he valued most. He was supposed to hate me. It wasn't supposed to be like this at all. Truthfully, his response to the situation was just as calming as it was disconcerting. But why? How could he even bear to stand in the same room as the very individual that devoured his hope? The last four years, he spent suffering in silence... and I was the catalyst of that suffering. The weight of Mari's death must've torn him to shreds on the inside. The weight of my countless sins outweighs the amount of heart I could ever put into any apology, and yet...

"Hey, take this water. I imagine you need it after all that."

Still in complete shock, I grabbed the bottle and thanked him anyway. My suspicions were killing me. I had to know what this was about. I needed to say something. So I did.

"...H-Hero," I stammered, "why are you doing any of this? What's stopping you from just taking out all your anger on me?"

"No idea," he responds. "But I will tell you I'm pretty upset. Much more than you might be able to see just by looking at me. I don't think I need to tell you why, either."

"I took everything from you, Hero. Isn't that enough reason to ruin me here and now?"

He stopped digging through his bag and looked back at me. He's confused. "Do you... want me to hurt you?"

"...I deserve it, don't I?"

"Well, I'm not gonna say you don't." ...His rebuttal is quick. Too quick. But I agree with him.

"Here's what I think, Sunny..." He says as he turns to face me.

"You did take everything from me. You took away Mari. In the end, you're the one who's responsible for how I've been feeling these past few years, but..." He inches ever closer. "Look at this height difference, Sunny."

He pauses for a moment, laughing off the stupidity of his point.

"What I mean is... to me, you're practically still a kid. You really haven't changed much since back then, either, so I can't bring myself to really hurt someone who's so much smaller than I am. And hey - no more talk about killing. There's no way I'd even consider doing that, let alone lay a hand on you. That'd be way worse than anything you've done, by far."

There's silence for a moment. Hero bends down so his face meets mine.

"You may have robbed me of everything I loved, and you may have hurt everyone else in the process, but what gives me any reason to take pity on you is..."

He pushes his finger into my chest forcefully. It's the only poke that's ever hit me right in the heart.

"...I know for a fact that by doing what you did, you've taken everything you love from yourself, as well. I may have been close with her in a different way, but I know you're trapped in just as deep of a pit as I am."

"Sunny, you miss her just as much as I do. You're still carrying all the pain from that fall, no matter who was pushed down. Your friends... they have a share of the pain, too, but... you're the one who had to live through it."

Despite his serious tone, I'm sort of at ease hearing this. He seems like he has more to say.

That he does.

"The deepest corners of my mind are telling me to put you in a world of hurt for taking Mari from all of us."

"But it's not that simple. "All of us" includes you, as well, Sunny. I don't think you ever meant to hurt anyone. You probably weren't even thinking when you did it, and you've already hurt yourself enough just by... well..."

"Killing her," I croaked.

That one made Hero physically stutter. He just turned his head to the side, staring down at the floor for a bit. It looked like a wave of shock had ran through his entire body. I could tell he still had a hard time grasping the idea that I even killed her in the first place. Maybe he was surprised with how easily I was able to say that, like it was nothing. The truth is, it wasn't easy, and it never has been. But no matter how I act, or what I say, I've always had the sneaking suspicion that Hero knew exactly how I was feeling regardless. He had that sort of ability. He's just meant to help people. I feel so conflicted knowing that he's even just sitting here, talking to me like this. But maybe, despite all I've done, he sympathizes with me.

"My point is, Sunny, you and I are sort of in the same boat here. We both loved her, and even if you did do what you said you did... I can't find it in myself to blame such a young kid for making a mistake like that. Part of me _does_ want to blame you, don't get me wrong. I'm beyond upset that you and Basil would lie to everyone like that, and for so long, too. Part of me seriously holds what you did against you, but I'm really trying to control that, because you were just a kid... all of us were."

He stands up straight, patting me on the head. My brain was overwhelmed trying to process everything.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be going. I didn't want his pity. I didn't deserve his kindness.

**...but I would cower in fear if he had chosen to show me his anger instead.**

"Listen, now matter how angry part of me may be, I don't want you to be afraid of me. You have enough guilt on your shoulders, and for me to lose my cool would just be adding more weight. That, and it wouldn't look very good on my resume, heh."

His chuckle sounded... dejected, if anything. Hero's spirit seemed like it was wavering. Yet he kept pushing.

"Despite what you may have done, no matter how conflicted I feel on the inside... I'm making a promise to you."

"Our friendship isn't going to become sour. It isn't going to get worse, it isn't going to go back to the way it's always been, no - It's going to get better. I'm going to make sure of it."

I'd never seen such a gleam in his eyes before. He seemed so eager to try and make things right between us, no, make us closer... But why?

"...what's the point?" I whispered, eyes glued to the floor.

He sighed. "It's a way for me to get close to the one thing that's left of Mari."

"You."

"You're the only one that knew her as well as I, hell - maybe even better than I did. You're the one who stayed with her the most, from beginning to end."

He kneeled in front of me again. The shimmer in his eyes flickered until it was gone. He looked desperate.

"I want to know all you remember about her. I want to keep a good relationship with the one who mattered most to her."

"We both know we would take her back if we could. But now, it's time we both learn to continue facing this, head on. It's something that we still need to confront."

He stands up, grabbing the bag on the chair behind him. I haven't even taken a sip of my water yet.

"Besides... I told everyone that in a friend's hour of need, we'd stick together, right?"

Hero starts to walk off toward one of the elevators down the hall. I frantically open the bottle he gave me, and choke down half of the water inside. There was pressure all around me. I felt like I was about to throw up. The lump in my throat didn't help either. I wiped my mouth, and, looking up to see Hero leave, I notice him look back at me.

"Tell everyone that I'm heading back home. Oh, and..." He threw his hand down into his pocket, searching around for something. He rushes back to give me a slip of paper. "That's got me, Kel, Aubrey and Basil's phone numbers on it, okay? Since I've got a cellphone, you can call me directly, but the rest of the numbers will probably end up just calling their house phones. I figured you'd need it, since you were going and all."

I take the folded paper, and look up at Hero with the biggest smile I can muster. It's not much.

He returns the favor with a smile bigger, more hopeful, than I could ever dream of achieving.

"Hey, go head back in there with the rest of them. I don't know how it'll end up going, but... If Kel's there, I know he'll do his best to keep things under control. They all need you, even if they won't talk to you at first."

Though he was the one I least expected to be giving me this advice, I thanked him with a simple nod. It was something I always thought was more characteristic of Kel, that unwavering kindness... but, I guess they are from the same family. As I tried my hardest to wave goodbye, Hero was already making his way to the elevator. He gave one final look back, pushed a button, then a few more, and once the doors closed in front of him... he was gone.

The faint sound of fingers lightly pressing down on piano keys rings in my head.

It's the song Mari would always play. It's in a higher key than usual.

The entire interaction left me in a bit of a daze, but once I'd come to my senses, I started toward Basil's room door once more.

As it did before, the handle turns.

The door creaks. I walk in. Aubrey speaks.


	2. Reconcile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aubrey, Kel, Sunny, and Basil reconvene after Sunny steps outside with Hero to discuss things. Unfortunately for Sunny, now that the truth is out, the air carries an unnerving feeling in its stead - a feeling left for anyone recently burdened by the reality of what happened four years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i literally have never used this site before i'm sure the chapter system is way more simple than i'm making it for myself

_"I can't believe you. I can't... believe you."_

Aubrey spoke soft swears through teary eyes, with her head down and her fists clenched. Her body was stiff, coursing with anger she couldn't effectively harness anymore. I couldn't blame her for the way she was acting. In fact, I was ready for a worse deal than I'd gotten. Every punishment I had prepared myself for, every punch, every ounce of hate... it wasn't coming to me as I'd expected. I deserved their utmost frustration. I deserved their anger, their sharp words, their most forceful hits - but they weren't giving me any of it. Aubrey just stared, with pain in her eyes. I could feel every ounce of weakness exuding from her. Her eyes were tired, but looked like they were ready to spew more tears than they already had. Aubrey...

My throat twisted. I felt myself being strangled by my own body. I did all of this. It's my fault.

She suddenly began to make her way toward me with haste. I wasn't expecting her to come at me so fast. In the back, I could see Kel carefully eyeing her to make sure she didn't try anything. Closer now. She kept getting closer. I was worried about what was about to happen to me. The fear of any more fighting took over me, and in an act of self-preservation, I threw my hands out in front of my face.

It didn't matter. She kept walking closer.

No matter how slow it seemed, it was too fast for me to think straight. Every move was a blur that sent my mind into a frenzy.

**I was going to die here.**

She clasped my arms swiftly and brought them to my sides.

**She's ready to kill me. She must be.**

Quickly, faster than I could ever think, her arms wrapped themselves around me, as she carefully pulled herself ever closer. I was confused. I couldn't speak. My throat was caught in the hands of my guilt.

It was a hug. One that was charged with immense anger, burning through my body and melting me alive with its energy alone... but one that felt safe, beyond the heat of it all. At its core, it just felt warm. It sent waves of comfort through me, even if I was staring fear in the face just seconds before. I felt her quiet breathing. She was entirely calm. Nothing felt right, but she kept holding me. I threw my arms around her, tightening the embrace further. Her breath became shaky. There was a faint giggle.

That was when I felt a fist plunge deep into my stomach. My jaw snapped open, the life fleeting from my body. I fell to the ground immediately, gasping for air. The feeling of being suffocated overpowered any means of rational thought. Must breathe. Must breathe. Please breathe. My lungs scrambled for any oxygen it could pull in. Kel yelled out something. A few things, maybe. I couldn't pay attention to it. The sound of my own heartbeat bounding through my ears clouded my hearing. I tried to scream, to cry out in pain.

Nothing.

Aubrey was towering over me, her tears raining onto my hospital gown. I heard her whisper something through her cries. She knew I could hear it.

"How could you lie to me like that?"

She slipped down onto her knees and snatched me by the collar. I wanted to cry, but I was empty of tears. I wanted to say anything at all, but when Hero left, he took my words with me. She shook me around violently, just waiting for me to do something. She was waiting for the words of comfort to slither from my mouth. Something that would fix this.

"FOUR YEARS! Four whole years went by without a WORD, and for what!? Just a lie...?"

At the snap of a finger, her entire demeanor flipped. The rage completely seeped from her body, and all that was left was sad little Aubrey, trying to find an answer. Whether she'd shake it out of me, hug it out of me, or cry until she had one, it didn't matter to her. She was trying, and failing, to hide the fact that her entire body was quivering. She sat in silence, just glaring into me. Still, I struggled to speak. When I opened my mouth, there was only emptiness where words should have been. Aubrey looked down at the floor, resting her hands on her knees. I was trying my hardest to say something, anything. I didn't want to cause her any more pain than I already had. I just wanted to pull her in for one of those long hugs we used to give each other. But now, at the moment where she needed something from me the most, I couldn't even move.

She just sat there, waiting. I didn't know if she was waiting for someone to swoop in and make it all better or if she just needed to think.

I couldn't be that hero for her then. I didn't think I could be now.

Something had caught her attention. She was looking over to her right, and just as I had processed what was going on, she was already reaching behind my arm. The folded paper Hero gave me had fallen to the floor. Still just about on top of me and not really concerned with any personal space, she unfolds the paper and darts her eyes around to sap the information from it. Her hair keeps swishing in front of my face. Regardless of how close she is, she seems comfortable as ever, not really worried about anything outside of what she's reading. One small "hmm" later, and she's already flipped the paper over to its other side. At that point, it registered in my brain;

There's another side.

She finally retreats, still kneeled down but no longer up against me. She keeps on reading, eyes examining every inch of the page as her brows lower and her face shifts to reflect a more somber appearance. She scoots back a bit before holding the paper in front of me.

"I think you should see this", she softly proposed.

With that, I shakily grabbed it, and prepared myself to receive whatever had been written.

* * *

**Hey, Sunny!**

**I caught word from Kel over the phone that you'd be moving soon, so I figured I'd try and write to you, just in case I can't see you before you go.**

**Man, I haven't written a letter like this since I was in high school. Exchanging letters was how Mari and I used to talk sometimes so that your Dad wouldn't get suspicious, hehe. She used to decorate hers with all types of little doodles, flowers, and all... But this isn't about her. It's about you. I'm writing this letter because even though it's been tough for everyone, I'm sure you've had the hardest time out of all of us. It takes a lot of strength to keep moving forward, especially in the position that you are. It's not easy to get yourself out of a hole like that, losing your sister and all. Kel tells me he can see the lights turn on and off through the window sometimes, so I'm hoping you're still kicking over there, buddy! Things over here in college have kept me pretty busy, but I'm still sorry I wasn't able to reach out to you more after everything happened. I hope you've been alright, but I know things have been weighing on you a lot.**

**When Kel first told me that you stopped coming to school all those years ago, I was more than worried. I thought you might not be okay on your own, or that you'd do something to hurt yourself. Some days it's hard to get up and even look in the mirror when things get to that point. You don't deserve any of that when you're in enough pain as is, so I kept believing in you from afar, with my head up high. Kel told me a few months later about how Aubrey came knocking on your door with a big smile on her face one day, and how she started to cry when you wouldn't answer. He said she was there knocking and waiting for at least an hour, and every time she didn't get a response, her face would start to get more and more sad. She apparently walked home sobbing that evening, burying her head in one of those little stuffed toys she used to carry around. It seriously broke my heart when I heard it, but more than anything... I was really wishing you'd be okay. Even though I was in the house next door back then, I feared not getting any response from you. I tried it, one day, but decided I couldn't bring myself to do it after just a few knocks, haha.**

**With as much as you were on my mind, you'd think it would have been a lot easier to at least call you... But for some reason, I couldn't. I'd either forget, or not have the courage to try and reach out. That cycle kept repeating all the way up until now, and I've never felt worse about it. I know you hated to be alone.** **As the oldest, I shouldn't have put you in a situation where you were left to fend for yourself. Before I was in college, and even now, I should've made it more apparent that you could've come to me at any time about anything. No matter how far away we were, I should have been there to let you know that I was still your friend, and by extension, someone you could always talk to.**

**Things weren't pretty for me here, either. Sometimes it was difficult trying to play the adult for so long. I had to, though. People needed me, I had things to do. That's not an excuse for leaving you alone, but it sure wasn't easy for me.**

**But now? You're going to go out and find new beginnings, Sunny! Isn't that exciting? Even though you've struggled a lot these past four years, there's an opportunity for you to go and begin life anew somewhere else. Remember, even if you're gone, you'll always have your friends behind you. All of us are gonna miss you, but we're rooting for you all the way! You should let Basil know you're going beforehand. I think it'd be better to tell him sooner rather than later. I sent him a letter last month letting him know how much I missed everyone, and that I'd be home sometime soon to see you all again. I'm still hoping that'll be before you move, but anyway, he actually responded! That gives me some faith that you'll write me back when you see this. He has some really neat handwriting. You should ask him to show it to you sometime. I'm sure he'd be happy to.**

**Well, I think it's about time I stop writing now, haha. This paper doesn't have much more room on it, so I'll leave you with this: You're really strong, Sunny. I'm sorry that you've had to endure this pain for so long, and I'm right there with you, but I'm so proud that you've made it this far. I always kind of considered you somewhat of a little brother, even if I let you down when you needed me most. For that, I'll always be sorry. I'll never forget all the wonderful memories we all made in Faraway together. I'm leaving the numbers to all our friends' houses, and my cellphone number, on the other side of this letter. Give any of them a call! Everyone wants to hear from you. We'll all miss you, but we'll be in touch!**

**-Hero**

* * *

There was a tiny drawing of a flower at the bottom of the picture, and a dried droplet of water near the first paragraph. He must've been crying when writing about that.

Another drop fell onto the page. Then another. I-I was...

I felt a soft hand gently wipe my eyes, brushing my cheek as I realized tears were streaming down my face. Putting the note down, I see Aubrey crying just as much as I am. I never knew about what Hero had written on the paper... if I did, I'd have opened that door, no questions asked. Would I have? Was the story even true? The person who knows is sitting right in front of me, crying her heart out. Is she crying the same way she did when I didn't answer? Opening my mouth to ask, I hoped with my entire being that I could get the words out. There was one noise, one crack, a hint of a sound... little by little, it was happening. I was finding the words to say.

"I-Is it true?"  
  
She knew what I meant. All she could do was whimper a tiny noise of affirmation as her face scrunched up even more. She was crying harder than ever before when I decided that I had to do something. Despite how weak my body was, I made my best effort to move forward and throw my arms around her. It must have been the wimpiest hug she'd ever been given. Still, she returned the favor, reciprocating the hug and squeezing like she wanted to break my spine. Knowing her, she probably did, even if she was smiling. She was still sniffling, and tears flooded her face as if there was no tomorrow, but... she was smiling. I guess for a second, I cracked a smile as well. For a while, I'd almost completely forgotten that Kel and Basil were still back there, just watching us. Which prompted me to speak again.

"Aubrey. Let me go."

To my surprise, she didn't even budge. The version of Aubrey that I'd come to know in the past few days wouldn't spare a second thought before throwing herself off of me. It wasn't that Aubrey anymore - it was the one I spent months dreaming about alongside all my other friends. The snapshot of Aubrey, from before... before I destroyed everything. It was hard to think she'd ever even think of getting near me, now that she knew the truth. She knew how guilty I was. That I was a liar. I tried to carry more words through my tired, red face. My head was pounding, I'd been crying all morning. Was it even morning? All I knew is that it was bright out - that didn't matter. The words shakily crawled through my cracked lips.

"I lied, Aubrey. I'm a murderer. Why are you supporting me? Kel and Basil are still-"

"I don't support any of the lies you told, or any of what you did." She cut me off immediately. I felt her tense up as she spoke. "I'm still mad at you... and that means you too, BASIL."

Basil was still sitting up, watching us from his bed. He turned away as the guilt seeped in.

"But just because I'm mad... just because I feel betrayed, and upset with you both..."

She pulled herself out of the hug. The most warm smile was plastered across her face.

"That doesn't mean I won't support _you_."

"Aubrey, I'm not-" I tried to retort, until I was cut off again.

"You made a mistake, Sunny. You were a kid who made a mistake. Okay, multiple mistakes. So many things have gone wrong since that day, and I'll never be able to forget now that I know where it all started. But I also won't be able to forget all the good things you did for me, either. I don't know long it'll really take for me to forgive you, but we all suffered. You have to live with the fact that you made the mistake. That'll stick to you forever. I'd be in the same place as you right now if Hero wasn't there yesterday."

Everyone in the room remembered the event she was alluding to. Just a day ago, Aubrey could've been the reason both me and Basil drowned. She would have been responsible for the death of two of her friends. Is that why she refuses to attack me...?

She grabbed my arm and pulled me, as she began to stand up. "I'm sticking to you forever, too. Don't pull any more life-changing stunts like that, Sunny! I'm serious! I'll never forgive you if you do!"

She threw a light punch to my shoulder, making us both laugh. It was the first time I'd been able to make any joyful sound in a long while. But, I knew Basil and Kel were still waiting on me.

"Mari would be so happy to see you two laughing like this," Basil chirped. He was pushing with everything he had to speak to us.

Kel barged into the moment. "Don't just leave us behind! Get over here and throw us a group hug!"

* * *

The staff insisted that I stay at least a day longer in the hospital before I could leave Faraway. Once everyone had gone home, I spent a few hours chatting with Basil. Out of any of us, he was the one that had needed company the most. Regardless of what he did to my eye, I left him scarred pretty badly. He was weaker than me, and in my immense stress, I'd damaged him a lot worse. We talked about how we planned to move forward, and if Basil would be able to handle me moving. He left it at "Well, I'll have to be able to, won't I?", and that was that. Past all the talking, I was spending my now second-to-last night in Faraway up on the hospital's roof, clinging to the rails of the balcony. The quiet winds worked in tandem with the starry night to breathe new life into me. The air carried an inviting breeze, and I found myself breathing with ease.

In, and out. Inhale.

Exhale... one after the other...

In... and out...

I flinched upon hearing the screech of the metal door behind me opening, making way for whoever made it their mission to scale the numerous flights of stairs to achieve this height. I didn't dare turn around. Perhaps I could pretend I didn't notice them come by. They must've needed a smoke, something simple like that. Contrary to what I'd thought, a pair of folded arms propped themselves up on the railing, right next to me. One dart of my eyes to the right revealed a familiar jacket, then hair that boasted an unforgettable shade of pink... of course. It was Aubrey, slipping me a faint smile. The moonlight reflected onto the world perfectly, illuminating our view of Faraway, and the world beyond. Aubrey had that same glow about her, tempting my eyes to become further lost in bouts of endless gazing. She was wordlessly observing the stars as the wind strolled by us, releasing its gentle, endless breath into our ears. It blends our breathing with its own, supporting us with the means to prolong our lives. I can hear Aubrey humming to herself. A delicate voice catches my attention.

"Things aren't ever going back to how they were, are they?"

A quiet nod relays my answer. I was keen on any form of communication that didn't involve vocalizing things. Not unless I had to be. It was always a struggle. Her questionnaire ensues.

"Why am I even asking? Pieces of everyone were lost when Mari died. I'm sorry you and Basil had to live with that when we were little..."

_...I'm still living with it,_ I try to tell her with a distraught look in my eye. She pushes herself off of the rails, standing up straight.

"...but I'm still angry at you two bozos for what you did. I don't really think I need to tell you why, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to really forgive you. I felt like all of you left me in the dust for so long... so I hurt you."

"I should've never picked any of those fights with you guys. It doesn't matter how angry I was, you were my friends. I feel so stupid for trying to turn you against me."

Aubrey throws her hand around my back, silently coercing my body into her fabled one-arm hug. It's something I'd see her do with Kim all the time. She faces me with the same subtly unsure, yet warming smile from before. Both of us were more afraid of the future than anything. At that point, I'd realized that I ran from the future so much that there was no space left to run to. These were the moments railing up to the next major piece of my life. Even then, I was worried where my tale would take me. Would things be able to repair themselves? Would the awkward air persist for me and the people I spent my youth lying to? Once I left here... was this the start of my slow descent, my fade into obscurity? Were my friends, my victims, in any state to even look at me, now that they knew what I had done? Is this the end of my story? Do things regress into normalcy, one so bland that a story can no longer be told from it? Things can never get better for a sick, disgusting creature like myself.

**Was it all worth nothing, now that a resolution was in sight?**

Aubrey pats me on the back with noticeable force.

"What's wrong, Sunny? Worried I'll push you off?" She giggled. "I guess you could use a taste of your own medicine."

Somehow, with no regard to everything being pushed meant to me these past four years, I managed to laugh with her. She went wide-eyed when I started chuckling at her little joke, letting her smile run wild. She looked... legitimately happy. I was happy too. Not in the way that she was able to be, what with the burden of taking a life still plaguing me, but still happy.

"I'm scared, Sunny. Of the future. I'm not ready to move on yet."

"Nobody is," I murmured.

She looked at me, clearly confused. "Didn't you tell everyone so that you and Basil could learn to move on?"

"There was no more room to lie. I killed her. I couldn't live with myself knowing everything I did was a lie. Every day, when I woke up and dared to even take a single step - liar. Every time I close my eyes - liar."

"I would look in the mirror each day and see Mari, furious with me. Some days, lines of corpses would march toward my room door in anger. They would bang on my door and scream in pain until I cried myself to sleep."

Something urged against speaking any further. The gates were already too far open.

"I heard her voice ringing through the halls, telling me she loved me. That she wanted to hang me by the old treehouse so that we could be together again."

I turned to Aubrey, face disfigured by the sheer horror she felt.

"Every day."

I turned back to face the night sky.

"No one will know how it felt. To be the one responsible for someone's death."

My body forced itself to cackle, fully acknowledging the weight of my next words.

"If Basil and I had died that day... you would have been cursed to understand. It's hell."

The thought of ever killing the people she loved made her crumble almost immediately. Any of the remaining 'cool-girl' persona she boasted shattered under the crushing weight of being a potential murderer. Slowly, she pushed out her breaths with more force. Her eyes darted around the premise; she was imagining something. Possibly many things. I'd seen this before. Her arm retreated from around me, slamming down onto the railing as she began violently shaking. Tears dropped to the floor, leaving no sobs in its wake; she was too busy hyperventilating to even consider it. I knew I shouldn't have said anything of the sort. It's not something she could handle. But she was still there, shaking, crying, thinking...

Her leg threw itself over the railing, the other threatening to follow suit. As if on impulse, she tried rushing to the final push. No more time to think, just-

**Grab her. Pull her back.**

**Do not watch as another one dies.**

Summoning the very last of my remaining strength, I clutched the back of her coat with all my might. If I was too weak, Aubrey would die. I didn't want more blood on my hands. Holding onto Aubrey as tight as I could possibly manage, I prepared to throw my arms back toward me, hopefully taking her along in the process. I pulled back as hard as I could, sending her leg off the railing... and knocking her to the ground. She began screaming in pain, shouting her regrets into the empty air above. I dropped to my knees, struggling to cradle Aubrey with my dwindling energy. Her struggles to break away from me and hurl herself off the broken railing had almost knocked me over. Eventually, the struggling had stopped, and a searing pain surged through my arms. She looked up at me, tears filling her eyes. She snapped them shut, clutching my hospital gown forcefully as she dug her head into the fabric. Each wail had reduced itself to a sniffle, retaining only a shard of the force it once carried. The exhaustion was burrowing into me, pulling at my eyelids.

"I can't... I can't..." She mumbled to herself between her sobs.

My arms were ready to give out. Yet, I continued holding her, until her pain subsided.

Aubrey... we're going...

to...

...


	3. Last Day in Faraway, pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny spends his last day in Faraway with Aubrey, exploring the past and contemplating their future endeavors. During their last stroll on memory lane before Sunny leaves Faraway, their words with each other are what matters most. (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is admittedly kinda stupid (at least to me, you make your own conclusions). no beta and too little time spent on this because i really want to move on to the cooler stuff. we'll pick up the pace in part 2 and beyond - i promise but also no promises
> 
> as always call me out on any funny typos you notice (or tell me you like the story i very much appreciate when people do that)

_**We're going to... be... okay...** _

_...breathe.. keep breathing slowly..._

_Just take deep breaths as we move from bar to bar, okay?_

_...You have to focus, Sunny._

_The melodies aren't going to get any easier until we play through them fully._

_If we want to get this just right, we'll have to keep moving back to the start, again and again._

_When you get up there, you'll only have one shot._

_I know you understand that._

_But if we do it perfectly, everyone will love it!_

_They'll all remember the beautiful song we made together._

_Isn't that what you want?_

* * *

My eyes flutter open. The memory of my dead sister awakens me yet again. I struggle to sit up as I wipe the rivers of tears from my eyes. My vision is hazy, flickering in and out spontaneously. I'm definitely still in a hospital - the hospital I've spent the last day or so in. That's the bed I've been lying on, that's the mirror and the sink... Colorful tiles line the floor like they always have. The walls are a heavenly white. The soft buzzing of the lights lodged in the ceiling calm me. I remember what serenity feels like, for a moment. My mind slows, knowing there is nothing to focus on. The seconds of bliss pat my shoulder one last time, before leaving me completely. They pave the way for the memories of last night, trudging closer, with hopes of striking me. I cannot push them down. The confession, the letter, Hero — I was bombarded with image after image. The flipping of paper ravaged my ears. Scene by scene, I recall the events of yesterday. The thought of Aubrey snapped to the front of my mind.

Aubrey... was she here?

I must have let go of her. Had she died because of me? Was she gone?

Did she just decide to jump anyway?

My eyes dart across the room in search of answers. A figure holds itself against the wall, just across from my bed. As my vision clears, the figure becomes Aubrey, running her hand through her signature pink hair. Her jacket is sprawled across the two chairs next to her.

She sits in silence, inspecting her fingernails carefully. Occasionally, she lifts her arm in front of her face, checking the time with a watch she doesn't have. Aubrey remains silent until her ears catch the rustle of my bedsheets. No wall separates us, but when her head perks up to see me, she doesn't move. She only watches.

I roll off the warm sheets and make contact with the ground, falling to my knees. The cold sensation rushes through my skin as I rise to my feet. Her movements begin to match mine. One step forward. Then another. As we close in on each other, our movements quicken. Aubrey throws her arms out to me, allowing me to rush in and tackle her. Our collision knocks us both to the floor once again, leaving us snickering to one another silently. Her smile draws me in closer, pushing the slightest grin onto my own face. The warmth of her arms wrapping themselves around my back hushed my worries. I fell further into her, releasing control and letting myself sink peacefully.

I take time to savor the moments.

She lifts her hand and brushes it through the unkempt mess of hair on my head. Her chuckles bless my ears. I dedicate a few seconds to thanking whatever made them for their existence.

"You're the worst," she whispers. "You really are the worst."

I slam my head into her chest as an act of retaliation. It didn't carry the strength I wanted it to, but she laughs anyway. She indexes each strand of my hair with her smooth fingers, massaging away some of the stress. For a while, there is nothing that comes to my mind. No objective, no place to be, nothing to fix. All that bubbles to the surface of my thoughts are fragments. Fragments of better memories. But brush by brush, her movements slow.

The fuzzy feeling carrying the experience along begins to tremble. It falters further. I fear losing the warmth.

"We both seriously messed everything up together, didn't we?" Her voice cracked and quivered while she spoke.

I grumbled. "None of this was your fault."

I felt her arms slip off of me and drop to the floor. My body pulls itself away. The moment goes cold.

"Staff said they wanted to give you one last check-up before they threw you out of here..."

Her voice trails. There is an emptiness in its wake.

"I want to spend your last day here together, Sunny. You and me. Got it?"

"...S-Sure."

* * *

Hope, in Faraway, is not something you're meant to find. The further I stroll down each street, the more I come to understand that concept. This town is too small for anything ambitious. It's a place where you settle yourself, and become content with the life you have. That was the effect of Faraway on even the younger people. The longer you stay, the easier it becomes to give yourself up to the proceedings of daily life. I used to wake up here and feel happy every day, watching the birds wildly whisk themselves across the world, in the company of their families.

I remember having a family like that.

I remember when things had structure. When everything was intact, and certain people knew that they could rely on one another. When bonding was natural, and every interaction was something mutual, something both parties agreed to do together. There was once a time where everyone sought to be in the vicinity of each other, and everyone was equal. Where we all functioned as a group, recognizing our power in numbers. Some days it was so hard to pull us all apart. These streets used to be ours. It was where we used to play. Where we'd sit on the sidewalk and whine about school. Where we sat, awaiting the summer, so we could all come back together for just one more round of fun.

At one point, my sister walked these streets with Hero, preparing herself for a life that she would never get to have.

I took it all for myself.

And now that I'd stolen it, soiled it, wasted four years of it, ran it through the dirt... I had the gall to set foot on the land she loved. Because she loved everyone and everything. Every morning, she would wake up, eager to watch the sunrise. To see the trees rustle in the wind, to silently sit and observe the animals passing by... Her eyes always opened, ready to love the things around her. They always opened seeing the good in everything, until they couldn't open anymore.

Mari was so much better at enjoying things than I. There will never come a point where I can match that boundless appreciation. Not even for the people who deserve it most.

Tomorrow, as new and 'exciting' as it'll be, I'll still wake up unable to love the experience the way Mari could. With my lack of expressive ability, I always had to wonder what it was that people saw in me. To this day, I still can't see it.

The swings me and Aubrey parked ourselves on don't feel the way they did before. Not many things do, or could. When she passes me that dull look, trying her best to smile... it hurts. I wish I could muster the voice to tell her that. If there's anything I want her to know, it's that I'm feeling everything at once, despite what my blank expression might say. If ever there were something I could give to the people who need it, it'd be a window into my mind. One encompassing all the horror, all the fond memories, and all the guilt. I've always wanted to express myself in a way that would draw people to me, so I'd never have to be alone. But it was always too difficult to move my face past an empty stare.

Even now, when I push my feet around under the swing, the feeling of the air passing my face... that's all it is. It's passing me by, and moving backward to catch the feeling just means falling to the ground again. Every motion propels the cycle — push forward, fall backward. Kick the ground to accelerate, then start again. It doesn't matter if I do it perfectly, or how far I push. The swing will always drag me right back to where I started.

Knowing that, is there still a point to what I do?

When I turn my head to look at Aubrey, what do I feel?

Somewhere in there is a feeling I'm embarrassed to name. Just a bit ago, I'd been wondering if love was a foreign concept to me. I had thought it was something Mari understood, and I didn't. That isn't true. I've loved more things than I can count, I've just been so lost in doing nothing that I forgot how I used to be. I tried my absolute best to be nothing to anyone, once Mari died. I wanted to slink away into the darkness and never come out. On the inside, I tried to be empty.

But it doesn't work that way at all. That's stupid. I can't be 'empty'. I can't abandon my feelings. I can't just become nothing, and I can't push myself against the movement of life. I'm moving along with it, despite my efforts to force myself into the past. Half of me, recognizing this, is in agony. The other half understands this catharsis fully. I know that I have to move forward because I don't get the choice not to. I know that there's no way to work around any aspect of life, but there's something in me that still runs from this. It never wanted to face reality. It always attached itself to the times before the accident, thinking it was in my best interest.

_Isn't that what **you** want?_

"I don't know what I want. I want to go back, I want to move on, I want to fix this, I know it's broken, I..."

I feel a hand grasp my shoulder. It presses down onto me, asking for my support. Looking up, I see Aubrey in front of me, showing me a different smile than before. It emanates an aura of pity.

"You're... starting to think out loud again."

...Of course I was. She lifts me off the swing, and onto my feet.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for something you-"

I stopped her. "How long was I talking?"

She's clearly annoyed by me interrupting her, but she answers regardless. "Enough for me to know you're getting upset. It's written all over your face."

I sighed, clawing at my face. Of course she heard me. Spacing out always was my thing. I could remove myself from any situation at any second. It didn't matter where, or when. But why did it have to come out now?

"You know, if being near the swings is opening too many wounds, we can get out of here. Everyone else wants to see you before you go, anyway."

I nod, as she rests her arm over my shoulder yet again. Before I know it, we're leaving the park, which had remained eerily empty in the time we'd spent there.

"Then it's decided," she shouts, "we're headed off to Kel and Hero's place!"

...What?

* * *

Their house emanates the same familiar glow it always has. Just being around it was enough to make anyone long for that same energy in their own home. Kel and Hero had a family that radiated positivity. They were determined to stick together, no matter the circumstances. That, and they just added another member to the pack. It was something me and Aubrey couldn't really understand, and exchanging looks was enough to confirm that we were both thinking the same thing.

"Must be nice to have a dad," Aubrey uttered under hushed breaths.

Okay, so we definitely weren't thinking the same thing. I elbowed Aubrey, throwing my arms up in a disapproving manner. At first, she was upset with me, but came to understand the reason I responded like that. She hesitated in slinging her arm around me again, knowing she'd just opened a weak point. Aubrey had a mean defensive game, but when it came to me, there was next to nothing to show for it. We used to play fight often, but those little spars never ended when we stopped attacking one another. We always remained cautious, carefully stepping around each other during some of our sleepovers. The objective was to keep yourself protected, at all costs. Sometimes, I'd lure her in, make her trust me... then jab her out of nowhere. That was declared a 'win', in my eyes.

Maybe that's what I've been doing to everyone that trusts me, all my life.

She grumbled, scoffing at me. "Fine, one that cares."

I shrugged and raised my balled fist to the door. Something within me argued against knocking. Before I could press forward, Aubrey reached her other arm out and slammed the door a few times. The door shrieked an unforgettably disturbing series of bangs in response. If there was a certain level of strength at which one should knock on a door, Aubrey had completely disrespected it. For a split second, it almost reminded me of something. Something... familiar.

"Is that how you broke it...?" I mumbled.

She turned her head in confusion, trying to understand what the hell that question meant. What the hell _did_ that mean? Am I just saying things now? Have I finally lost it?

Probably not.

There's a time where we stand there, not saying anything. Aubrey seems completely absorbed in waiting for any response on the other side. At random intervals, she'd drag me an inch or two closer to her. I don't think she knew she was doing it, but I kept feeling myself being pulled. It was subtle, but not too subtle. But before I had the time to dwell on the thought further, Hero opened the door. In one hand was a bowl of noodles, and in the other was his cellphone. He eyed us with a look of confusion.

"How'd you manage that, Sunny?" He asks, pointing to Aubrey. She growls in response. Hero hums, pushing the door open with his elbow. He steps to the side, grabbing a few noodles with a set of chopsticks that came from seemingly nowhere.

Aubrey seemed genuinely interested in his techniques. "You know how to use those?"

"Of course. I eat more than just sandwiches, Aubrey." He responded, laughing to himself.

...Mari must have taught him.

"So... do you plan on watching me eat, or are you coming in?"

Aubrey jumped, shaking her head. She yanked her arm out from behind me, and wrapped her hand around mine, swiftly pulling me through the doorway. Hero's eyes widened, getting in a few blinks to make sure what he'd seen was real. Hell if I knew. As she marched through the living room, I looked back to see him giving me a nod of approval. I returned the favor with a nod of my own. He must've been so proud.

Aubrey seemed set on something. She was taking me upstairs. The steps creaked a less violent sound than the ones in my home. As we walked up, she kept glancing back at me, studying my expression. Now that she knew what I'd done, I wondered if she assumed this would rouse any bad memories. My mind was more fixated on her than anything. I nodded, to try and assure her that I was more focused on... other things. Things that felt nicer than my mistakes. The stairs looked as if they kept trailing upward forever.

Everything was throwing more questions at me than answers. I was still in awe at how Aubrey had settled her differences with us in a matter of days, and how she'd warmed up to me again. The way Hero treated me after I told him the truth of Mari's death was... scary. I couldn't move past the kindness he'd shown me yesterday. Instead of hurting me, instead of storming off, he... he comforted me. I don't think he's forgiven me at all, but he still wants to talk to me. Kel is... eager to support me as always. I already had my last talk with Basil, knowing he wouldn't be out of the hospital for a few days more. He had told me not to worry about him, and that he'd call me when he could. I believed him.

At some point in my stay at the hospital, Kim had stopped by to give me flowers. She eventually got sidetracked and chose to make conversation with me. It was incredibly one-sided. I was half-awake and unwilling to speak, but I did manage to nod as she spoke. Once I'd spoken to her under more serious terms, I came to find that she was a really nice person. Kim cared for people much more than they knew. It's something I should've assumed based on how she acted around Aubrey. She told me that she couldn't imagine the pain of losing a sibling and that no matter how she might've acted, I had her support.

_"If that happened to Vance... hmm... all I'll say is, you're way stronger than I am for holding out this long. I'm here for you, okay?"  
_

_"If you want to talk about anything, tell Aubrey to come bother me. I'll be there."_

_"...You should get more sleep. Hope you heal up quick, Sunny."_

Kim had shown up in the early visiting hours, so I didn't even know if Aubrey or the others knew she'd been there. She showed up with no incentive. I thought she hated me. I assumed she had reason to hold something against me, since she and Aubrey were close as could be.

Something shook me back to reality. That 'something' was my friendly neighborhood pink-haired monster, yanking my collar and yelling my head off.

"Hello? Can you stop zoning out?! People wanna talk to you, you know! ...a-and I'm 'people', okay?!"

We were on a soft, comfortable surface. A mattress, of course. On a bed, one I recognized as Hero's. The lights were still off. Kel was lying in his bed, silently fidgeting with his pet rock. He seemed devoid of the energy that usually coursed through his veins. I couldn't blame him. Despite how bright it was outside, today seemed unusually gloomy. I'm sure it'd be even worse if I went back home. Aubrey was beginning to speak again. No more thinking to myself.

"Listen, here's the plan. We're going to go visit Mari, then have one last picnic before you go. You're leaving this evening, right?"

I nodded.

"In the meantime, just relax. I'd say... thirty minutes or so, we'll be sitting here. Oh, and... Kel! Give us some privacy!"

Kel turned to Aubrey, casting an annoyed look. He was clearly just fine right where he was.

"This is my room," he argued.

"Just get out of here so we can talk about things!" Aubrey yelled, flinging a pillow into his face. Kel groaned, bouncing off his bed and sliding out into the hallway. Aubrey tossed another pillow to close the door behind him, then turned to face me. She obviously had something she wanted to talk about, and if I didn't get caught up in my thoughts, I'd be there to listen. Just like I always have. She let out an exasperated sigh, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face.

"I should start by saying... I'm sorry."

* * *

**pt. 1 end.**


	4. Last Day in Faraway, pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny and the group all prepare for one last picnic in honor of their time together. The hour of Sunny's departure is swiftly approaching, resting its arm on the shoulder of Faraway. Life, for our characters, will change once more.
> 
> Speak now or forever hold your peace, Sunny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally its here - the last chapter before FORWARD, SUNNY enters its SECOND ARC. thank you for your continued reading of my fun little series. this one's quite long so prepare yourselves. many thanks to those who beta read. much credit goes to raak for the idea of sunny & mari's surname being "yumeno".
> 
> no beta on this one. we die like men. might be constantly editing this in the case that there's like millions of errors
> 
> one final note before i go: you could also read THE ONE WHERE THERE'S A SLEEPOVER in the meantime, if you haven't already. it's a splinter of FORWARD, SUNNY's timeline where sunny & his friends are sent back one month before the events of the game. chapter 1 of that story is very similar to chapter 3 pt 1 of this story, so if you like time shenanigans and easter eggs go check that out. 
> 
> until next chapter. : )

_"Isn't that what you want?"_

_"Isn't that what you want?"_

####  **_"Isn't that what you want?"_ **

* * *

Imagine that.

  
Aubrey, someone whose suffering continues as a ripple of my own failures, wanted to apologize to me.

I left her in a position without anyone to look up to. My mistakes transformed her into the person sitting before me. She'd become someone she was unhappy with, a complete subversion of her past self. By now, the world had stripped her of any remaining ambition. Nothing could sufficiently pioneer her now spiraling life. At least, that was the conclusion I came to. I wasn't her — I wouldn't know. Was she cast adrift by Mari's death, like the rest of us? Had she taken the initiative, choosing to stand in the face of the surrounding chaos? Was my handling of this disastrous situation inferior to hers? Was I wrong? Did she come to understand something quicker than me? Had that enlightenment, combined with her ability to persist, given her reason to pity me?

Is that why everyone had been so forgiving? They knew something I didn't?

No. That couldn't have been it. From what I gathered, everyone was still fazed by the cruel, demoralizing shitstorm circling us. But they'd all spent the latter half of four years scrambling for answers that were less than satisfying. To them, I had intertwined my abhorrent excuse for an answer with my confession. By now, I had no doubt they'd exhausted every last source of hope.

_Hope, in Faraway, is not something you're meant to find._

Their hearts must be too drained to be angry. Maybe they've reconciled with their lost hopes for the future. Maybe they're just trying to hold up an act that'll crumble once I'm gone. None of them were okay, but they exuded more positivity than they should've, given that they knew the truth. None of it made sense. If they understood that all of this was my doing, why would they… why would she be here, trying to make amends? What reason does she have to care?

Aubrey had called for my utmost attention, urging me to stifle my thoughts. Before I'd shattered our childhood, I was the one tasked with bearing everyone's problems. They spoke into me, and their words emerged somewhere unknown, drifting further into that curious place. Each time they told me what was on their mind, they'd always been able to unlatch some of life's weight from their shoulders. I knew they liked when I listened. Physically, I couldn't fix everything for everyone. I still can't.

But I could always sit alongside them in their struggles.

"I want to be completely honest with you about… last night," she mumbled, burying her head deep into the one remaining pillow on Hero's bed.

She throws her head back to speak again. "I promise I don't think about doing things like that often. That's not how I am." Her fingers twirled in loops through her hair. There wasn't a moment since we regrouped in which that shade of pink wasn't burned into my retinas. "It was stupid. I don't even know _why_ I tried it."

Reassuring words slipped from the lips of my supposedly impassive face. "You couldn't stand the thought of being remembered as a killer," I suggested while shifting closer to her. Her eyes narrowed, understanding the subtle irony of my comment. Part of me still wonders how it'd feel to let someone else walk in my shoes for a while. To know the guilt of being the reason someone's lost their life. It's unbearable, despite what my deadpan expression would suggest. Unfortunately, in reality, that 'for a while' becomes permanent, sticking that hypothetical person in my shoes eternally. No one ever comes back from death, no matter how guilty you feel, or how hard you wish. On the other side of that expression, there exists a world where no one ever truly dies, and no one has to feel guilty.

Mari would still be alive in that world.

But we aren't there and never will be. As such, I've decided I would never wish this burden upon anyone. So, to that Aubrey of the immediate past: Be glad you aren't responsible for the deaths of the people you love most. You wouldn't be able to live with it. Last night was evidence of that. I'm happy for you.

I slide ever closer, dragging Hero's bedsheet along with me. It's a solid blue color, simple, and lacking any notable qualities. Ironically, the complete opposite of Hero. Aubrey rolls onto her chest, hesitating to meet eyes with me. She hoists herself back into a sitting position before choosing to respond.

"You never meant to do it," she cries. A twinge of her younger self breaks through her dispirited voice. I tense up.

There's an attempt to push any words past the lump in my throat. My stoic nature cracks.

"You didn't either," I replied. "But you had someone there to save the day. I didn't get a hero, as much as Hero wishes he could've been there. But the past is the past, right?"

A chuckle riddled with defeat escapes my mouth. "The past. It's ruining our lives. If you jumped… I would blame myself more than you. Because I understand why."

"I don't care who you blame, that's not the issue! The problem is that I even tried in the first place! If I actually did kill myself, you'd all get worse! I would've just fucked this up more than I already have!" She all but screamed. "That drop looked horrifying!"

"I know," I croaked. "I considered trying it out myself. You feel weightless when you fall, don't you?"

Her face morphed to aptly represent her simultaneous disgust and worry. Aubrey jumped to her feet, moving away from the bed. The light beaming in from the window almost obscured her face. If she wasn't subconsciously attempting to hold together her tough-girl persona, she might have even started to tear up. Instead, she set the weight of her frightened gaze on me, absorbing the reality of my situation. She stood there, gawking at me like a deer in the headlights. My face struggled to move an inch, yet she seemed eager to make a break for it. If I were less observant, I'd miss the way her arms quivered in fear. She tried to piece together a response but instead spat fragments of broken speech.

"So you were… We were both- there to…?"

I nodded. "I told you the truth. I had nothing left to do. The best option was to die."

Her head swayed in disapproval — either that or disbelief. Though I'd hate to burden the people I love with another loss, the thought of suicide always lightly grazed my shoulder, as if reminding me that the decision was mine. Beyond all my faults, mishaps, and oversights… it had always remained, peacefully perched atop my mind. It was a subtle meditation that stewed in the most opaque corners of my psyche. Nothing more than a friendly nudge, quietly coercing me into its scheme. In the midst of it all, I had no clue if I really was ready to jump. At some point, I assume I would've buckled under the pressure and lunged forward, facing the drop with all my might. When I'd told them the truth, I was convinced I did the last of everything I had to — it's what I'd just told Aubrey seconds ago, but… something had felt off that night. As I contemplated my next move, hands squeezing the railing, _**something**_ pushed against my form, pleading to keep itself alive.

I had felt it grabbing at my skin as it wept. It wailed into the night, desperately praying that I would listen. It flickered between a disembodied voice and a shadowy reflection of myself, crumbling in front of me. In those moments, when every part of myself cried out in retaliation, begging me to just move forward… I still felt as though I had to die.

"But I didn't," I continued. "Because you showed up."

Her halfhearted smile screamed discomfort. I wanted her to at least be proud of herself for something, but knowing her, she must've thought it was her own selfish actions that brought us here. Even if that were true, we were still alive, weren't we? After having lost so much, isn't that all we can ask for? To be alive?

_To be alive..._

_Is… Is that what I want?_

"M-Maybe it's time we start forgiving ourselves," I proposed, voice trembling. "…even if I'm not ready to."

Aubrey's eyes narrowed, her gaze drifting away from me. "We have to forgive each other first, though, right?" She muttered, inching toward me sluggishly.

I arose from my spot on Hero's bed, prompting her to glare at me once more. The enraged Aubrey of the past that knew no bounds had almost entirely dissipated. Her breaths, her demeanor, and that hanging expression... it all felt worn out. Tripping over herself, I watched as she surrendered control of her body and fell onto me. Her head rested against my chest, making my rapid heartbeat more than obvious. It felt so nice, but it was a curse to have arms this weak. I could barely support her weight, no matter how light she felt. Her arms folded themselves around my back yet again. We've been through this so many times, yet it feels more invigorating with each repeat.

She lets the feeling settle for a while before speaking.

"You're dropping all this, right before you leave me in the dust…"

_"...is it okay that I don't forgive you yet?"_

My grasp tightened as much as it possibly could. My hands sank further into her jacket, threatening never to release their grip. "That's okay," I huffed shakily. As much as I deserved not to be forgiven, hearing the words from her felt like she'd taken her bat and smashed it against my head. I could almost feel the splinters of wood pressing into my skull.

She lifted her head from my chest. "Promise," she whined. "Promise me I'll never have to feel like this again, Sunny."

Upon her request, a startling noise caught our attention. It was the sound of socked feet shuffling away from somewhere near us. My head swiveled toward the bottom of the room door, observing a silhouette quickly disappearing from under the gap. Both our eyes widened in unison, shaken by the implications of the sound.

Someone was behind the door, listening to our conversation.

If I were to make my best guess, it must have been Kel feeling spiteful after Aubrey kicked him out of his own room. I wouldn't put it past him to eavesdrop. He probably thought he was going to hear something... mushy. He probably assumed we were here, sharing childish secrets and cheek kisses in his own bedroom. At least it wasn't a bad idea, and at least it was less damaging of a topic. It wasn't like the way Aubrey was acting helped our case, either. We remained stiff and unmoving in each other's arms, frightened by the noise. That meant someone else knew of what happened that night.

Kel knew. He knew, and that was enough to derail us.

Aubrey stood herself up, trembling all the way. She threw herself onto Hero's bed again, creasing the sheets further. Dragging her hands along her face, she groaned. Her palms slipping back down to her knees hadn't extinguished the weary look in her eyes.

"God, let's just... try to ignore that. Act like that didn't happen, and just... hope he doesn't tell Hero."

If there were anything I dreaded more than Kel overhearing that I was contemplating suicide, it was Hero finding out. Not only did he believe Mari died the same way for so long, but... he would never forgive me for doing something like that. Nobody would. Aubrey and I sat in silence, awkwardly surveying every nook and cranny of the brothers' room.

If I did it... it would break the promises we all made to each other.

I never did get to make my promise to her.

* * *

The doors to the Faraway Church emit their usual unobtrusive creaks as the four of us pile onto the soft, velvet carpet. The sunlight peeking through the large stained glass windows brushes against the rows of old wooden benches. Specks of dust wandering the nave sweep past our eyes and fall away into the air. The roof of the church expands higher into the air than I remember, though I'd stood in this very hall just the day before. And, subsequently, the day before that, when I'd gone to retrieve Basil's photo album from Aubrey. We both gave each other a good beatdown in these halls... it was hard to imagine any of us were even allowed in here anymore.

Standing atop the altar was the priest, slowly wiping down the shimmering black piano I'd always hated seeing, especially after Mari died. It was a reminder of every burden I'd carried, from our impending recital to her untimely death. Not turning back to face us, the priest nodded as if he was barely acknowledging our presence. We shuffled toward one of the backdoors that led to the cemetery. I swung it open, gesturing for everyone to follow as I closed it behind me. I've always been the last one to leave a room.

I'd always wondered why they hadn't just left me behind, anyway.

The old man who usually patrolled the garden of graves hadn't made his appearance today, for whatever reason.

He seemed to be the only one who heard the spirit's endless commotion, even as they prepared to introduce Basil's grandmother to the family of souls. That old geezer was almost enough to convert me to a believer in the supernatural — which wouldn't be too daring of a change, considering I was already knee-deep in a sea of ghouls. Perhaps it was the four years spent spiraling further into the sizzling delusions that tossed me along this course, or maybe the ghostly apparition of my sister really had been crying out to me all this time. To love me from beyond the grave... I didn't deserve such kindness. What else could you expect from Mari, though?

Hero settles before Mari's grave, gently sliding his palm across the dirt as if it were one of her many pristine, heavenly features. His love for her transcended mortality itself, it seemed. There was no doubt that he'd taken her death horribly, second only to myself. His loving caresses of the ground were as romantic as they were depressing, with him sobbing a bit more after each stroke.

If any of us hadn't known him any better, we'd assume he was about ready to propose to the soil. Instead of a wedding ring, he offers a bouquet to the remains of my sister, forever trapped within her tomb. They both had plans to marry in the future. Everything had looked so perfect for them... until I ruined it.

"Hey, Mari. It's..."

He almost buries his head into the ground, struggling to hold back more tears.

"It's Hero. Today's the second day I visit you! Aren't you... aren't you happy to see me again?" He questions with a weak laugh.

We all bathe in the silence, accepting that there will never be a response. Hero slowly rises, slinging his hands into his pockets. His gaze is locked onto her tombstone. If ever she were to respond, he'd sit there and reminisce with her for hours. Today, though, she doesn't speak. It's a tragedy Hero will never come to terms with. Nobody can.

"I'm... sorry I couldn't be there to save you," he mumbled, struggling to maintain his composure. The others made no remarks.

He struggled. "I know you'd be really happy to know that we all got back together..."

"...and that we're all really trying our best to keep going, even if you're not around anymore."

Hero kneels to the dirt again, readjusting the flowers so they sit at a perfect angle against her tombstone. Kel was picking at a strand of hair dangling in front of his face, in an attempt to distract himself. As I read his expression, paging through the myriad of eye movements, I realize that Kel is... uncharacteristically somber. If it wasn't because his brother was struggling to piece himself together, it must've been what he'd heard earlier. It was a grim reality I didn't want anyone like Kel to face. Then, he turned to me and shrugged.

 _'Stop acting like I don't know,'_ his gaze bellowed.

"...I hope you're proud of us, Mari," Hero choked. "I love you."

Hero shifts to the side, urging me forward. Though he knows speaking isn't usually my thing, I can tell he wants me to at least give my respects. Maybe this newfound will to express myself after years of silence will push the words from my mouth.

Every time I stare down this cursed grave, I can feel the sun's rays shining down onto me. This glorious spotlight bestowed unto me by the heavens serves only to remind me that I'm a murderer, basking in the beauty of a world that once belonged to someone better than I. Each examination of every engraved letter made my stomach churn, driving the sensation of guilt into my chest.

I struggle to breathe as I eye the culmination of my mistakes.

* * *

# OUR DEAREST MARI

#### MARI YUMENO

1985-2000

"THE SUN SHINED BRIGHTER WHEN SHE WAS HERE"

* * *

I shift my gaze upward to meet eyes with my sister.

_"It's time to tell me what's been on your mind for so long, little brother."_

Perched atop the bewitching gravestone was the specter of Mari, skin paler than light, hair more opaque than void itself... she radiated the aura of both WHITE SPACE and BLACK SPACE combined. Her long, unconfined hair gracefully blew in the quiet wind. Her face hadn't changed a day since her death.

It was still the same old Mari, ready to hear my spiel.

**But I didn't know if I was ready.**

I wasn't sure if the pallid visage of Mari's ghost bore a look of disgust, disappointment, or contentment. She simply smiled, like she always had when she was alive.

My lip quivered. My eyes forced themselves shut, even if one wasn't exactly functional.

An anxious feeling overpowered my body as I prepared to recount faint memories, ones resting underneath the raging ocean of guilt that crashed against the pier I found myself standing on. The waves stretched endlessly, rippling out into obscurity. There was no land, no sign of life — just me, the thrashing sea, and the gray pier. The blackened waters were restless, currents splashing and swirling. The thundering, tumultuous noise rammed into my ears, drowning out the sound of my own ponderings.

The swarming shrieks of my disappeared friends ring across the broken, isolated landscape. They are nowhere to be found, yet they still scream symphonies for me. Colorless, fragmented glimpses of their mortified faces line the shadowy sky, shifting slowly alongside the clouds.

Looking back, I see the pier trailing off into an unending stretch of emptiness. I begin to understand the purpose of the structure as the ocean tears into it.

It's only here to provide a moment of hesitation, the point in which I contemplate my next actions. Movements I'm destined to make, strung into a coherent tragedy by the cruel dictator steering my reality. _That person's the one making this such a hell for me,_ I almost dared think to myself. There's no proof that they exist, or that they're even watching. I don't get the right to shift the blame. Everything that's gone wrong is still my fault. I brought everything and everyone to their lowest points. I smashed the light illuminating our little world.

I cursed us all.

How could I stand in the face of my friends like this?

It'll never come as a surprise to the ones watching me when I jump. It's already been planned. There's nowhere else for me to go.

It was always supposed to be this way.

It was always supposed to be me.

...or, should it have been her?

If... If we could trade-

There's no time. The ocean is still ravaging the wood. It's eating away at the foundations slowly. There remains only one way to go.

The hellish, raging sea of shadows screeched its demands to me, calling me further in.

It wants my mind, body, and soul.

## DIVE.

So, in I went, being thrown, pushed, and pulled by the current as I sank deeper into the guilt.

The dark, calming sensation of being submerged in my sea of sins provided more comfort than I'd expected. BLACK SPACE had quelled its screaming since my battle with OMORI, and HEADSPACE had been completely vaporized. The scenery was eerily reminiscent of my deepest thoughts, yet less violent. It felt like a misty spa of constricted self-loathing, bathing me in rivers of dread. But the world wasn't attacking me like it used to, no — only subtly evoking horrible feelings. Though, I still feared that it would consume me if I sank deep enough.

The screeching water quieted as I drifted deeper into the arms of my regrets. They cradled my tired body while the hands of my psyche brushed through my locks, which had become significantly longer amidst my journey to the bottom. I wanted to tell the sea that I was exhausted, but it'd kill me to do so. I had to keep holding my breath, hoping that peace would find me soon.

The memories of each interaction I'd ever had with my friends circle my thoughts, dancing across the bounds of my consciousness. The days we spent reading comic books, playing cards, and having picnics sped by my eyes. The people I loved were, in a way, here with me. I could no longer discern whether I was awake or asleep. Perhaps I was dying, quickly reliving the most important moments of my existence as I passed over into the great beyond. The day I was extinguished... it'd been a long time coming. After a lifetime of errors and rue, I was finally prepared to forfeit my place in reality, if one had ever been reserved for me.

I felt my heart begin to slow. The fragmented memories end their dance around my head, dissipating in front of me. At some point, I'd become powerless to stop it all from happening. My limbs no longer fought to move, my lungs no longer fought to breathe. The murky ocean bore down on my chest, aching to crawl into my mouth and flood my body. I felt sick, and unable to hold my lips sealed any longer. The water kept knocking against me, desperately craving a home in my airways. I struggled to force my mouth shut, pulling with the force of my entire body. The air I had was fleeting. The sensation in my head grew fuzzier. Fatigue blanketed my fretting bones, lulling them to sleep.

My muscles began to relax as I acknowledged the silhouette of death, watching from above the water. It must have decided today was my day to die.

I gave my last prayers, wishing it'd be peaceful when I let the last bit of air out.

Then the arms dropped me into the ever-expanding ocean, waving its departing words as I gracefully floated farther into the nothingness below.

So I laid still, steadily descending, wandering with the current. The water darkened as I fell, something I'd thought was impossible in the already shady substance. I let myself fall deep enough to be consumed. I should've listened to myself for once, but I didn't, and now I'm going to die here.

Alone. Drifting until I reach the ocean floor. If I don't lose consciousness before I make it there.

To my surprise, I emerged at the other end, landing atop a familiar tombstone, looking down at the body of my former self. His friends huddled around him with worried eyes. They keep shouting at him, trying to shake him from his stupor. He remains unresponsive, but his deadpan face begins to crack. When I'd gone to speak, a new voice had shoved itself in place of my own.

_"It's time to tell me what's been on your mind for so long, little brother."_

His pathetic form lurches toward me, hissing apologies in between stifled sniffles and sobs.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

 ~~I keep~~ He keeps crying, hoping to achieve something. He clings to the delusion that with enough time, enough apologizing, enough wallowing, I would miraculously reanimate and repair the cavity he'd left inside himself. Part of me says that I'm not myself. _I know who I am._ He hopes with all his might that I'll forgive him. Maybe in another life, you discarded leech.

No rest for the wicked, dear brother.

_No rest..._

* * *

"...I'm sorry."

I assessed my surroundings, realizing that I was no longer anywhere near the graveyard, nor Mari's grave. Instead, we'd all repositioned ourselves at the picnic blanket by the lake. Instead of returning to see my friends shouting or my sister berating me, I was sitting down, like nothing ever happened. I didn't think I had passed out. It must've just been some horribly immersive daydream. The others turned their heads to look at me, faces riddled with confusion. Kel is the first to say anything to me.

"Oh, Sunny!" He shouted, flashing me a smile of dubious authenticity. I nearly winced remembering what he'd heard before we left his house. Aubrey cast her eyes to the side, rolling in the same culpability.

"Thought we'd lost you for a sec, buddy!" He laughed heartily, his face retaining the same roaring positivity it always had. "You just stopped saying stuff for a while, so we had Aubrey carry you over here... hope that's fine with you, heh."

Hero chimed in. "I just wish Basil could've at least stopped by for this... You talked to him before you left the hospital, right, Sunny?"

I nodded, my movements being on par with that of a drunkard. Any more force and I would've toppled over.

"Alright," he sighed as Aubrey retrieved a few sandwiches from a picnic basket. It was near identical to Mari's, but the entire thing had been given a coat of pink similar to that of her hair. An unforgettable shade indeed. She slung a few sandwiches to each of us, Kel nearly letting one fly straight through his hands. Aubrey slid across the carpet and planted herself next to me, which prompted a few looks from Hero and Kel. Their smug glares last eternal. Aubrey's face begins to repaint itself a bright shade of red.

"What? He's not looking too hot. I'm just making sure he doesn't... I don't know, fall face-first into the carpet...?"

Her rebuttal garners no response from them. Thoroughly defeated, she just slips her arm around me anyway, nibbling on her sandwich.

"W-Whatever, you guys wouldn't get it," she uttered.

Hero chuckled, chewing on a piece of his own sandwich. "No, I'm positive I know what you mean, Aubrey. I'm sure Sunny appreciates the gesture." She almost musters all the rage inside of her before remembering that she wouldn't dare hurt Hero.

Hero... I wonder...

I wondered if he knew yet. Maybe Kel kept the secret to himself. It's not like it's ideal for Kel to know, either, but it was his own meddling that brought him here. Even then, I still felt regretful, now that Kel was exposed to the worst part of my situation. He didn't deserve to hear any of that. I didn't want him to feel burdened by my own instability, but... I'd been pushing that onto him all my life. I knew Aubrey was feeling the same guilt, but we had to barricade those emotions. These were our last moments together before I moved away, after all.

I didn't find accepting that fact difficult. It was like Hero said, I'd be finding a fresh start in a new place. I wasn't eager to leave behind the best pieces of my past, but this town will forever be home to the looming specter of my mistakes. That phantom of the past will forever walk the halls of my old home, haunting it indefinitely. I will forever feel her presence in that house. As good as this place was to me, I'd still taken a life here. The most important life of any.

Mari's life.

Hero perked up. "Say, Aubrey... since we don't understand what's going on with you and Sunny here, why don't you explain it to us?" 

She almost spat out a piece of her sandwich. Unlike Kel, she could somewhat control what came from her mouth (sorry, Kim). "Wh- well, he's..."

_...I'm?_

"He just came out of the hospital, Hero, jeez! Of all people, I thought you'd know that it's best to stick around someone who isn't doing well!" Her little pouty face wasn't really selling her point, but she had the right spirit.

He chuckled. "That may be true, but you've been like this with him all day. You're not really supposed to attach yourself to a patient's hip, you know." He took another bite from his sandwich, carefully inspecting Aubrey's arm, which was still tightly wrapped around me. "It's not like this is new, either. You two have been doing this since we were kids!" Hero's grin grew bigger than ever as he chewed his food. He was actually enjoying himself, which was a refreshing sight to everyone. Kel was laughing right alongside him, but Aubrey...

Aubrey needed a means of defending herself. I wasn't too concerned with the accusations, for... some reason.

She solidifies shouting as the ideal defense. "W-We don't- It's... it's not like that!"

Kel, looking eager to toss in his two cents on the matter, shouted in retaliation. "Yeah right, Aubrey! You two kicked me out of my own room for some 'alooooone time' an hour ago!"

Hero wheezed in surprise, slamming his fist on the blanket in a fit of laughter. "You took his hand as you walked through the door, Aubrey!"

Aubrey nearly shrieked. "No, I didn't! I swear, I'll rip you both a new one if you don't quit making stuff up!"

Before Kel could butt heads with Aubrey, Hero points to the trees behind us. "Hold on! Hector's- HECTOR!"

Hero springs to his feet and starts dashing past the 'ROAD CLOSED' signs, roaring Hector's name into the sky. As if fulfilling Aubrey's wishes, Kel quickly follows after him, leaving a dangerous can of worms unopened. I shoot Aubrey the best attempt at a smug look that I can muster. Her face droops, clearly done with all the embarrassment.

Giving up the 'smug' act, I raise an eyebrow at her, hoping she registers the implied question.

"Ugh, Sunny, not you too... things are... it's difficult, okay?"

I figured it was better to physically ask. "Do you..."

She huffed, throwing her hands over her head. "Please don't ask."

Respecting her wishes, I drop the question. She burrows her head into the arms of her jacket, rocking back and forth as if she'd just emerged from some traumatic experience. We decided to let the sounds of the outside world do the talking for a while, not saying a word to one another. When she eventually poked her head out, she grabbed her sandwich again without a word and scarfed down the remaining portion. Was... was she always able to eat this fast?

More minutes of wordless eating pass until I put my food down, wiping crumbs from the wrinkled blanket. I gently prop my head up against Aubrey's shoulder, drawing in a few deep breaths. There's an attempt to mask her surprise, but she still jumps when coming into contact with me. She whispers something I wish I could've picked up on, but was too hushed to be intelligible. To save myself the brainpower, I brush it off as some indecipherable babble, spoken in a language only Aubrey knew.

My mouth moves on its own. "I think you're neat."

Aubrey bursts out into laughter that persists for way longer than it needed to. Once or twice during her endless tirade of chuckles, I'd believed she became genuinely hysterical. After some stretch of time, she finally settles down, gracing my head with the tiniest pat. One needlessly long sigh later, and she's talking again.

"Alright, you little psycho... I guess you're pretty neat too."

There is no phrase more enervating that applies here than "butterflies in my stomach", but it is also the only phrase that fits. To my great displeasure, I must use it. I had... butterflies... in my stomach. There weren't many other terms I could pick out from the immediate selection my brain gave me, so I was stuck with that one. No good in complaining about it, I guess. In the case that anyone gets a hand on these thoughts, though; I never said that.

"BOO!"

Kel and Hero pop up from behind a tree, shouting "boo" at us like it were some godawful attempt at a scare. It definitely worked on Aubrey, because the moment they bounced from the shadows, she fumbled her entire sandwich while dragging me into the grass. I was indifferent to the surprise, but her reaction was always fun to see. They practically howled at Aubrey's borderline heart attack, sharing a high-five before wiping their eyes. It's the most brotherly thing I'd ever seen the two do together, at least in the last four years.

For a second, I considered this fuel for the next HEADSPACE journey, but... HEADSPACE was gone.

My dreams couldn't compare to this anymore.

Aubrey shot up like a rubber band, absolutely furious with both Kel and Hero. She was undeniably angry, but the fury was most likely distributed unevenly between each brother, working in Hero's favor. Kel was just subject to her constant 'friendly' abuse. He and Hero shared one worried look before Aubrey began hunting them down, chasing them around the hangout spot for what felt like hours, having the absolute time of their lives. For Aubrey, it was probably an invitation to beat them both into pulps, but for everyone else, it was just the usual game of tag.

For a while, I felt content just watching them all run around like idiots, because I knew we'd never get the opportunity to mess around like this again. These people weren't just some strangers I'd ruined the lives of, they were my friends. We had a special bond, and to them... it wasn't worth breaking over a mistake. So as I sat there, still contemplating the oddity of their reactions to the truth, not knowing whether I deserved their compassion or not, I finally accepted my mistakes.

I felt the slight push to take on the rest of life's challenges, knowing they awaited me from beyond the corner of Faraway's roads. I felt as though everything could repair itself, in due time.

We just needed to be there for each other.

I just needed to stop breaking away.

* * *

The sunset washes hues of orange over the small world of Faraway as the sound of door chimes ringing together accompany the quiet wind in its distant song. Hours had passed since we initially settled at the old hangout spot. Hours of mindless fun, indulging in our goofiest fantasies like we were all kids again. The four of us were standing in front of the yard to Hero's house, participating in our last group hug for the year, and possibly many more. Kel was still moderately sweaty from running, which made the experience a bit more uncomfortable, but the sentiment was still intact.

Aubrey was squirming around, trying to at least half-enjoy the embrace, yet failing miserably. "Kel, please get off me. I don't need your sweat on my jacket."

Kel took offense to this, of course. "Whaaaaaaat? It's mushy time right now, worry about that later, Aubs!"

"You two just never know when to stop bickering, do you?" Hero joked. "Sunny's leaving soon, we should give him a proper sendoff!"

They both rolled their eyes, reduced to pawns in the face of Hero's unwavering moral correctness. Though, as right as Hero was, "proper sendoff" wasn't exactly the term I would have used to describe this moment. It was more of a "best we could get" type of goodbye. That is to say, none of this was planned, and certainly not perfect. But it was one spent in the company of good feelings. That was seemingly enough for everyone. As such, it was more than enough for me.

As if on cue, I heard the sound of my mother's car tires rolling against the pavement, catching the attention of my ears with that odd... sticky noise it made. The noise itself was as fascinating as it was difficult to describe, but an enigma nonetheless. The sound of the car horn made Aubrey jump, seeing as the rest of them hadn't paid much attention to the vehicle passing by.

Right then.

There really was only one way left to go.

As I slipped out from the group hug and started toward the car, the steady hum of the engine subdued my worries, reminding me of a memory long forgotten.

_"One, two, three... one, two, three..."_

_"You're ready to move onto the next measure, then, Sunny?"  
_

_"Great. We've been making wonderful progress the last few days, haven't we?"_

My hand rested against the handle of the car door, hesitating to pull on it. I examined my fingers. Smoother than usual. It seemed they'd tanned a bit over the few days I spent running around in the sweltering summer heat. Alright, no more time to waste. It's-

Before I could choose to begin the rest of my life, I felt someone's arms wrap around me, squeezing with unmatched force. It was Kel, understandably sad to see me go.

"We'll always be bros, Sunny! Just had to tell you before you left!"

His words, reassuring as they were, still drove a wrench through my heart. I didn't know how long it had been since he'd last hugged me. I almost hadn't noticed that he was lifting me off the ground. He had no right to be as tall as he was, but... I was proud of him. He deserved to have that victory, even if it was a small one.

"By the way, I don't know if you knew, but... I never left when Aubrey kicked me out of my room this morning. I was standing behind the door. I would've felt bad if I never told you."

Another nod for the bunch. I figured he was able to tell that we both already knew, but honesty was always Kel's greatest quality. He finally put me down, letting a huge smile run wild across his face. The light from the sun reflected onto him perfectly. It would've made for a pretty great picture, but... Basil wasn't here, which prompted a spur of sadness. He still needed time to fully recover after what I'd done to him. I still wished he was here with us. It would've made things feel more complete. I could have made my final hours with him in Faraway just a bit more hopeful.

I shouldn't have- right, Kel's talking.

His smile dimmed. "I'll keep Aubrey safe, alright? Just... don't do anything wild while you're out on your own. You're my best friend, I don't know if-"

He stopped himself. Odd, considering Kel was always one to say anything that was on his mind. What he had almost said piqued my interest, though.

"Nah," he continued, with the same bubbly smile as always. "You'll do great out there, tough guy. If you ever need any help, we'll always be around, alright? Don't ever hesitate!" His voice radiated that eternally positive energy you could only get from him and his brother. With one final smile, he stepped to the side and walked off, letting Hero take his place.

Hero's nervous smile as he scratched the back of his head wasn't indicative of any awkwardness between the two of us, it seemed. I think he just wasn't ready to see me go yet. The last piece of Mari would be far out of his reach after this.

In one go, he swallowed his fear and set his hand on my shoulder, meeting eyes with the one functional eyeball I had left.

"I hope you take what I said yesterday seriously. It's been hard for the both of us, being completely on our own. We both lost Mari, not just me. Some days I have to remind myself of that."

He gives me one last pat on the head.

"Even though I'm in college now... I'll always try to make time to talk. Call me on any lazy afternoon, and I'll be sure to pick up. Oh, and... I'll be sure to keep Basil company. I'm gonna miss you, Sunny."

He shoots me a thumbs up, then slowly turns around, pushing himself back toward his house with his hands buried deep in his pockets.

In front of me was Aubrey, staring wordlessly. Her hair seemed especially firey under the-

She was hugging me before I could finish my next thought, compelling me to relinquish all control and sink into her arms. And so, I found myself reciprocating the hug, still unsure of what Aubrey really thought of me. If her response to my shred of bravery earlier was any indication of... what I thought it meant, then maybe there was hope for me yet. Alternatively, she could've been laughing at my stupidity. I wasn't given much time to think before she pulled away from the hug.

Her voice tugged at my ears again, more delicate than usual. "Might be hard to forgive you, but... you still mean something to me. A lot of things."

"You've done a lot of stuff, good and bad. That's what makes this so hard for me."

She sighs. "You get that, right?"

A short-lived hum is all I can muster, but it's enough to let her know that I understand. I never needed to be too expressive with Aubrey for her to know how I felt. That was the benefit of her spending all that time with me, all those years ago.

"Good," she chirped with confidence. "We'll be in touch, little psycho."

With that, she strolled down the sidewalk, disappearing behind the gate to Kel's house. Like the many times before this, I was the last one to walk away. Everyone had slunk off into Kel's home, presumably reconvening for a brief intermission before moving on with their lives.

It was finally time, then.

I swung the car door open, ducking under the roof and making myself comfortable in the leathery, gray seat. Shutting the door behind me, I get a glimpse of my mother, who I hadn't seen in months. She could hardly contain all her excitement, showering me with an almost criminal amount of hugs and kisses. Not to mention the amount of time she'd called me 'baby'. Just the perks of having an unnecessarily compassionate mom.

"Hey, mom."

Her eyes shot open upon hearing my voice, as if she'd just experienced the most moving revelation of her life. She hadn't heard me talk in a while, but the tears certainly weren't necessary.

I grasped at the seatbelt, deriving a strange sense of euphoria from the simple click the tongue made as it snapped into the buckle. It really had been too long since I'd been in one of these things. My mom finally managed to collect herself before speaking again.

"You ready, hun?"

"...Yeah."

* * *

_When we finish our song, everyone will congratulate us!_

_It'll be so wonderful..._

_They'll throw roses onto the stage while they give us a standing ovation!_

_Then we can finally move on from this, Sunny._

_Your fingers will heal with time, just keep playing for now._

_Alright, time to move forward, Sunny! Onto the next measure!_

_Stay with me, now!_

_One, two, three... one, two, there..._

* * *

**pt 2. end.**


End file.
